[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 218 (Thursday, November 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 67346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28766]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 218 / Thursday, November 9, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 67346]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Jasper Fire Value Recovery EIS--Black Hills National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Black Hills National Forest will prepare an environmental 
impact statement on a proposal to recover value from fire-killed timber 
within the Jasper Fire perimeter. The Jasper Fire burned approximately 
83,500 acres in August and September 2000. Fire-killed ponderosa pine 
in the Black Hills is highly susceptible to damage from insects and 
fungus. Expectations are that wood quality within the fire area will 
decline at a moderate rate until mid-summer 2001. Wood quality is 
expected to decline rapidly after that point. The Forest Plan goals and 
objectives that will be met include minimizing public safety hazards 
through hazard tree removal, maintaining soil productivity and 
minimizing soil erosion, managing fuel loading, and capturing economic 
values associated with restoration treatments. The EIS will be designed 
to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, 
42 U.S.C. Sections 4321-4370a, and the National Forest Management Act, 
16 U.S.C. 1600-1614, and their respective implementing regulations.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
on or before 30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Mike Lloyd, District Ranger, Hell 
Canyon Ranger District, Black Hills National Forest, 330 Mt. Rushmore 
Road, Custer, SD 57730.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Honors, EIS Team Leader, (605) 
673-4853.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is to recover value from 
timber killed by the Jasper Fire. Specifically this includes removing 
up to 60 million board feet of timber, concentrating in areas with high 
volume per acre; removing timber in areas with high and moderate 
intensity burns only (trees 100% scorched or totally devoid of needles) 
except incidental removal of green trees where necessary to access 
harvest units; no new specified road construction (temporary roads may 
be utilized for access but would be closed post-harvest); and lastly, 
concentrating value recovery from areas with low susceptibility to soil 
erosion, compaction and water runoff. Resource protection measures are 
included as part of the proposed action. Mitigation measures will be 
included to protect resources such as mountain grasslands, snags, 
soils, heritage resources, water quality and wildlife.

Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Service will prepare an EIS. The Forest Supervisor of 
the Black Hills National Forest will decide whether or not to implement 
this project, and if so, in what manner.

Responsible Official

    John Twiss, Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest, North 
Highway 385, Custer, South Dakota 57730 is the Responsible Official for 
this decision. He will document his decision in a Record of Decision.

Estimated Dates for Filing

    The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by 
December 15, 2000. At that time EPA will publish a Notice of 
Availability of the draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment 
period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA publishes 
the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. It is very 
important that those interested in the management of this area 
participate at that time.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed by March 2001. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments and 
responses received during the comment period that pertain to the 
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies considered in making a decision 
regarding the proposal.

The Reviewers Obligation To Comment

    The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers 
notice at this early stage of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
draft environmental impact statements must structure their 
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is 
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft environmental impact statement may be waived or dismissed by the 
courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) 
and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. 
Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very important that 
those interested in this proposed action participate by the close of 
the 45-day comment period so that substantive comments and objections 
are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it can 
meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the final 
environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft 
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is 
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the 
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft 
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives 
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer 
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

    Dated: November 3, 2000.
John C. Twiss,
Forest Supervisor, Black Hills National Forest.
[FR Doc. 00-28766 Filed 11-8-00; 8:45 am]
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